Study Finds Men Are 25 Percent More Likely to Get a Raise When They Ask for One

Is it possible that one of the persistent mysteries of our time — the gender pay gap and how we close it — has finally been solved? New research shows that, contrary to the gospel of Lean In, women at the workplace areasking for raises — they’re just not getting them. Wonder what that’s about!

New research conducted by the Cass Business School, the University of Warwick (both in the U.K.), and the University of Wisconsin found that men are 25 percent more likely to get a raise when they ask for one. Could this be a case of pure discrimination against women in the workplace?

The study analyzed data from more than 800 employers in Australia, currently the only place that keeps track of when employees ask for raises and when employers give them. The researchers collected information from 4,600 employees and found that the gender pay gap is not a result of women not asking for raises, but potentially just pure and simple discrimination against women when they do.

But the tides are changing, so say the researchers behind the study. Amanda Goodall, a senior lecturer at Cass Business School said, “Young women under 40 are negotiating their pay more successfully than older females, so the trend is looking better.” So, uh, keep leaning in — just lean in harder.